Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S..

The Director, Air Cargo Division, Policy, Plans, and Engagement (PPE) is an executive-level management official in TSA primarily responsible for actively engaging air cargo transportation sector partners to implement policies and programs to reduce the terrorism risks associated with air cargo operations for domestic and international air carriers operating under US jurisdiction and to raise the global baseline for air cargo security. The responsibilities of the position include the formulation of air cargo-related security policy and program oversight to ensure the effectiveness of air cargo stakeholders in comprehensively addressing air cargo security issues, processes, and programs. These responsibilities have agency-wide impact and influence, with national and international impact and scope. Responsibilities include providing innovative and expert leadership in the establishment and implementation of comprehensive air cargo security and communication strategies through collaboration with stakeholder partners and in accordance with applicable laws, policies, directives, and procedures.

High level duties include:

• Facilitates and maintains a network of air cargo partners for purposes of ensuring that there is current and consistent information regarding TSA policies and activities and their impact on domestic and international air cargo transportation stakeholders. Ensures that regular, recurring, and current air cargo-related security information is shared within the air cargo transportation network, including, but not limited to industry stakeholders and organizations within TSA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other government agencies. This information network is critical to effectively addressing both day-to-day activities and responding to crises. As appropriate, the incumbent will be responsible for pursuing industry partner buy-in and establishing mutual accountability.
• Serves as the principal interface with the air cargo industry and government partners for air cargo security. Provides expert security guidance to industry and government stakeholders on air cargo security policy issues. Works closely with air cargo partners to coordinate national and international policy development. Provides expert-level transportation security information at industry-sponsored conferences/meetings.
• Serves as the air cargo security policy expert for TSA. Understands and appropriately interprets transportation security regulations, and develops air cargo policies and regulations and facilitates their implementation; maintains awareness and/or knowledge of the most current, impacting and proposed/enacted legislation in the area of air cargo security.
• Testifies and briefs Congressional staff and members of Congress on air cargo security policies.
• Serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Administrator of PPE on matters related to the air cargo industry. Keeps Assistant Administrator apprised of overall operations, current status, and anticipated challenges.
• Oversees the coordination, development, interpretation, and dissemination of domestic and international air cargo transportation security policies including, but not limited to security programs, security directives, emergency amendments, guidelines, agreements, and regulations incorporating industry input, as appropriate. Monitors and reviews all outstanding security policies affecting the industry for relevance. Continually assesses the effectiveness of policy, programs, and operations and adjusts, as needed, to meet emerging priorities. Ensures a risk-based methodology is used to establish and develop security regulations, policies and directives to reduce measurable risk in the air cargo industry.
• Implements policies and programs to strengthen air cargo security capabilities to include expanding and fully executing TSA cargo screening and vetting authorities and coordinating across other DHS agencies with air cargo equities.
• Drives continuous, measurable air cargo risk reduction. Establishes organizational performance metrics in accordance with TSA's mission, vision, goals, and strategic objectives. Utilizes metrics to assess security improvement over time for the industry.
• Collaborates with all organizational elements within TSA that have air cargo security equities, which are interconnected and interdependent, to ensure consistency and coordination of policies and programs needed to accomplish TSA's air cargo mission. This involves understanding the roles and responsibilities of each of TSA's organizational components and sharing key information between and among these components and air cargo industry operators to assure robust communication throughout the sector.
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of areas within his/her responsibility, assuring conformance with TSA's strategic plan.

Conditions of employment

1. You must possess U.S. Citizenship.
2. You must complete a favorable Tier 5 Background Investigation (T5).
3. You must pass Drug Screening, subject to random drug tests.
4. This position requires a TS/SCI (Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information) clearance that must be completed prior to appointment. You will be subject to a 5-year periodic investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
5. Disclosure of your financial information is required.
6. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in the wake of 9/11 to strengthen the security of the nation's transportation systems while ensuring the freedom of movement for people and commerce. TSA employs a risk-based strategy to secure U.S. transportation systems, with nearly 50,000 Transportation Security Officers, each day at more than 450 airports nationwide. The agency continuously sets the standard for excellence in transportation security through its people, processes, technologies and use of intelligence to drive operations. As a member of the TSES, you may be subject to frequent changes in posts of duty and positions. Mobility is a condition of employment, so you must be prepared to accept, without objection, the judgment of your superiors concerning reassignments for operational and/or career development purposes, or for other reasons determined to be in the best interest of the Transportation Security Administration.

If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.

You must meet the qualification requirements of this position no later than the closing date of the job opportunity announcement.

Qualifications

As a basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Professional/Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show in your resume that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including results of your actions. Please refer to the Office of Personnel Management's website, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference-materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf for additional information about ECQs.

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Therefore, evidence of each ECQ and PTQ must be CLEARLY REFLECTED in your resume.

If you are a current or reinstatement eligible Career SES/TSES member or a graduate of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and your ECQs have been previously certified by OPM's Qualifications Review Board, you are not required to address the ECQs. However, you MUST address all PTQs in your resume.

Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs):

1. Knowledge of air cargo security standards, procedures and regulations sufficient to manage a program of national and international scope.

2. Experience developing and/or implementing policies or programs with national or industry-wide implications or with other large-scale applications.

3. Knowledge of the relationships between Department of Homeland Security components and programs and private sector organizations and/or other governmental departments, bureaus, or equivalent organizations in monitoring, networking with, and managing air cargo security.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs):

ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE. This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE. This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN. This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN. This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS. This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

FAILURE TO MEET OR FULLY ADDRESS EACH EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATION AND PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS IN THE RESUME WILL ELIMINATE A CANDIDATE FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL APPOINTEES: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent to which your resume shows that you possess the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) outlined in the "Qualifications" section of the Job Opportunity Announcement. Your resume may be evaluated by an SES/TSES rating and ranking panel, and afterwards, best qualified candidates may undergo an interview and a reference check. The TSA Executive Resources Council (ERC) will review results and make recommendations on final selections to the appointing authority. Only the selectee will be required to write Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) narratives.

Unless you have already been certified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past, your ECQs must be certified by the QRB before appointment can occur.